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Total fire ban for Sydney and most of NSW as scorcher forecast and fire risk soars
By Charli Shield
As NSW residents brace themselves yet again for a scorching day, with the mercury set to rise above 40 degrees in some areas, authorities have issued a total fire ban for most of the state.
The forecast of unexpectedly strong north-westerly winds has prompted the NSW Rural Fire Service to increase the areas with total fire bans from 11 to 12.
Among these is the Greater Sydney area, which incudes the Blue Mountains and the Central Coast.
Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons from the NSW Rural Fire Service said that the strong winds, low humidity and high heat would combine to pose a deadly bushfire risk.
Sydney is set for yet another scorcher.Credit: Peter Rae
"When you have these hot, dry, windy conditions on top of a very dry landscape, which is what we have in NSW, you have a landscape that is very susceptible to fire," he said.
"We are seeing very high temperatures right across NSW, dry conditions because of strengthening winds, as well as the humidity [dropping] below 20 per cent."
Although Sydney city is forecast to escape the extreme heat on Friday, with the maximum predicted to be 33 degrees, temperatures are expected to soar into the 40s across most of NSW.
The tiny outback town of White Cliffs is due for a scorcher of 47 degrees, while Bourke will reach 46 degrees - its fourth day in a row above 40 degrees. Dubbo is tipped to reach 43 degrees, and western Sydney 42 degrees.
Warning: NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons.Credit: Edwina Pickles
"The weather again today in NSW is being dominated by a hot air mass that's hanging over central Australia, particularly NSW and Queensland," Commissioner Fitzsimmons said.
"The revised weather forecast from [the weather bureau] this morning, which said there was a strengthening of wind and a change in the wind direction, making conditions dryer and more dangerous, meant that we had to increase the total fire ban areas to include the Greater Sydney area."
A total fire ban has been imposed across most of NSW.Credit: NSW Rural Fire Service
A total fire ban prohibits fires from being lit in the open and there are heavy penalties in place for those who do. An on-the-spot fine fetches $2200, and fines for discarding lit cigarette butts increase on total fire ban days from $450 to $1320, Commissioner Fitzsimmons said.
The 12 areas with bans include Greater Hunter, Greater Sydney, Central Ranges, North Western, Upper Central West Plains, Lower Central West Plains, Southern Slopes, Eastern Riverina, Southern Riverina, Northern Riverina, South Western and Far Western.
Conditions should ease for the southern half of the state during the weekend, a Bureau of Meteorology forecaster said.
But the heat is set to come back early next week with many areas likely again to experience temperatures in the low to mid-40s.
"It's not over yet," the forecaster warned.
with AAP